It’s amazing what you can create when there is an immediate need. Why the immediate need? His name is Arthur Vance and he was my first Alocasia; an Alocasia Dragon Scale to be precise. As long as we are being precise, I should tell you that he is from a corm of my original Arthur Vance.
I had several corms from the original plant, but only one grew, and that was over a year ago. It grew one leaf, and as soon as it began pushing a second leaf, the first one would fade out. It had been in a 9oz self-watering setup. I kept thinking that sooner or later it would grow, but it never did. I decided to put it in a larger, 16oz self watering setup, but again, nothing. So I decided to go to something even smaller than the 9oz setup. Here is what I ended up with.
It’s a self-watering setup made from a 2oz condiment cup with a moisturizer jar for its reservoir. So far, it’s working perfectly; time will tell if the Alocasia Dragon scale actually grows.
After I making this tiny self-watering pot, I thought it would be a good time to show how I make inexpensive self-watering pots using Dollar Tree and Amazon finds. I’ll be making four sizes, and these are the supplies I use:
Reservoir Pots:
(Any Jar Will Do)
Inner Pots:
Wicking & Spray Paint:
Spray Paint
These self watering pots are simple to make. You just need two pots/cups, one with drain holes and one without.
For the small 1oz. and 2oz. pots, the drainage holes will need to be made. The easiest way to do this is with a cheap soldering iron. Simply heat the iron and make the holes. If it’s your first time using a soldering iron, practice first on a sacrificial cup and be careful. Soldering irons get extremely hot very quickly. Make sure you have a soldering iron rest or cover to prevent accidental burns on your work surface. It’s also a good idea to have a damp, folded paper towel to wipe the tip on. (Do not hold the paper towel when you wipe off the soldering iron tip.) I usually put some damp paper towel down on moist sponge to wipe my soldering tip on.
Once you have drainage holes, you can add a few optional small holes on the side for airflow, especially if the plant is prone to root rot.
When your inner pots are ready, you can spray paint the outer pot. This will help reduce algae growth in the reservoir and on your wick. I like to leave a window so I know what the water level is inside the reservoir. To do this, add a strip of painter’s tape to the outside of your outer pot. NOTE: the top of the paint strip should go no higher than the bottom of the inner pot. If you want to take the time, you can also mask off the inside of the pot to keep overspray out of your pot.
Use a good spray paint with primer for the best results. The cheap stuff will peel off. I turn my cups upside down on a paint stirring stick to spray. My Tip: if there is any wind, make sure your back is to the wind so the overspray doesn’t blow onto your face.
When dry, add a second coat of paint if needed. When you are satisfied, remove the tape that makes the water level window. My Tip: carefully remove the tape from the top. Until the paint fully cures and bonds to the cup, it can peel and it’s better to peel on the bottom than the side.
Meanwhile, add a wick to the inner pot. Make sure the wick reaches and lies a little on the bottom of the cup. Keep in mind the thinner the wick the less water to the cup, and the thicker the wick the more water to the cup. For these small cups, I use 1/8″ and 1/6″ wick rope. For these pots, I used 1/8″ wick on the 1oz. and 2oz. pots and 1/6″ wick on the 3″ and 4″ pots.
Once the reservoir pot is dry, you’re ready to pot! I use pots like these with both volcanic rock substrate and soil. To prevent over-watering, lift the inner pot and pour the water directly into the reservoir cup. Also, don’t fill above your water level window.
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